Nursery Logs in Cathedral Grove - PHOTOGRAPHER COMMENT

A panorama was taken standing on a fallen tree in Cathedral Grove. It shows on one of the logs is another smaller tree growing, this fallen log has become a Nursery Tree, promoting growth of the next generation. All around are massive trees covered in mosses and lichens. I love this place.

Nursery logs provide an important service to the continuation of the temperate rain forest. These downed trees become covered in mosses as they begin to decay. Given the width of the tree, the tops of these logs can be up to 9m above the surrounding forest floor. As the wood decays, and the detritus from the mosses etc. builds up it is possible for the next generation of Douglas Firs to germinate on the top of the log. Growing here, the young saplings have up to a 9m height advantage over the plants on the surrounding forest floor. It is an important aid as many of these other plants would out compete the sapling for light, but being raised up the tree can continue to grow.

Eventually, the roots of the new tree descend round the old log to the ground, thereby establishing the next generation of trees. It is not uncommon to see many young saplings growing on a log, but only a few will reach adulthood. Additionally, it is possible to find a number of adult trees all growing in a straight line in a forest. These probably all started on the same nursery log, which has long since decayed beneath them.

TRAVEL DIRECTIONS AND GETTING THERE

Cathedral Grove located is in MacMillan Provincial Park, 15 kilometres east of Port Alberni on 4 Highway, and about 18km west of Coombs.